First, we hear about PC Black Ops players getting the second disc for Mass Effect 2 rather than disc 2 for Black Ops 2; and now we hear that isn’t the only disc craziness going on. Buyers of the Xbox 360 version of Lego Lord of the Rings were in for a bit of a surprise when they found that the included disc was only a demo disc and not the full game.

The game has since been recalled, but apparently that didn’t stop many who ended up with the demo disc. The good news is if you are not playing the game on the Xbox 360, you will be fine, as the problem is only with the Xbox 360 version, according to sources at Warner Bros Interactive.

Warner Bros has not indicated when they expect to have corrected copies on the shelf, and there is no word yet on how you can tell the difference between the corrected and non-corrected versions. We expect that Warner will make a more specific statement regarding the situation, but sources tell us that they are on the case and are dealing with the issue.

In the meantime, we suggest that if you happened to have received one of those demo discs, you should take the title and disc back to the point of purchase and let them know what is going on.

Talk about a weird manufacturing disaster: many buyers of the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 are unable to install the game fully on their PC because they received the wrong second disc. Yes, that’s right, instead of disc 2 of Black Ops 2 for the PC, many received disc 2 for Mass Effect 2.

The tale of the wrong disc in the PC version is spreading like wildfire through the Internet, and so far, Activision has had no comment on what their plans are to address this snafu and remedy the mix-up.

The included CD Key is supposed to be able to be used to activate on Steam for a full download of the game, which does bypass the need for the second disc; and we have seen reports that this has worked for some. Others, however, who have limited broadband connections will not be able to use this as an option and will have to wait and to see what Activision does.

Sources tell us that Activision is looking into the matter, but so far has not announced how best to proceed. We do expect the company to deal with this problem and make PC buyers of the game whole, in one way or another.

Moves to kill of software on CDs or DVDs is miffing the marketplace, according to a new survey. According to a new poll from a video game price comparison site and marketplace, the majority of video game fans would not like to see the end of video games on compact disks, as suggested by recent ‘leaks’ about the Xbox 720.

Following recent rumours that suggested that the next Xbox console, referred to as the Xbox 720, will not have a disk drive, a video game price comparison and marketplace site has conducted a poll of UK gamers to gauge how they felt about the news. According to the study, conducted by www.Playr2.com, the majority of gamers would not like to see the end of videogames on compact disks, with 63 per cent feeling this way.

1,340 self-confessed gamers took part in the study, all aged 18 and over, and all those talking part currently owned a console with a disk drive. When asked, “Would you be happy if video games were to stop being produced on compact disks ?” just under two thirds, 63 per cent , of the gamers taking part said “no.” When asked why they felt this way, three quarters, 76 per cent , simply “wouldn’t want to see the end of physical video games.”

Respondents to the study were similarly asked if they would want future consoles to be produced without a disk drive, to which the vast majority, 71per cent , of respondents said “no.” When asked why, over half, 51 per cent, explained that they simply didn’t support a move to ‘100 per cent online gaming’, whilst 43 per cent were concerned that they “wouldn’t be able to play” their old video games on compact disks.

Of those taking part, over a third, 35 per cent , currently streamed video games online. The study also asked those taking part if they believed that gaming would move ‘completely online’ in the future (outside of their feelings on the matter), to which 81 per cent admitted that they did.

Simon Kilby, founder of Playr2.com, said that the latest leaks surrounding the ‘Xbox 720’ have really thrust the idea of a no-disk console onto the horizon, making us all think about what this would mean for gaming in the near future. He said that most have a nostalgic view of games on compact disks, as well as the fact that disks probably encompass a huge portion of most people’s collections. The idea of gaming moving completely online now seems more likely than ever, and it seems that most gamers aren’t ready for the move, or simply don’t want it.

It’s been a while since Intel updated its SLC SSD roadmap and the good old X25-E is the only SLC solution based on Intel NAND. It's based on 50nm technology and, in case you didn't know, SLC stands for Single layer cell - faster than MLC (multi layer) but also dramatically more expensive.

Intel plans to introduce a new drive codenamed Ramsdale in 200GB and 400GB size and this new drive is based on new 34nm SLC process. This will be the first Intel’s drive for PCIe buss as the X25-E relies on the quite obsolete SATA 3GB/s.

This drive clearly tops the Lydonville MLC offering that comes in 300GB, 200GB and 100GB and SATA 3Gb/s. We still don’t know any projections of Ramsdale speeds but you can imagine that they will match or overcome the fastest drives you can buy today. Note however that, since they are intended for server market, they won’t come cheap.

Here is something new that we really didn’t see coming. Paramount (in conjunction with 505 Games) will be trying a new concept on the PlayStation 3 that will be interesting to see if it gains any traction. The concept is a hybrid Blu-ray disc for the PlayStation 3 platform that contains a game and a movie on one Blu-ray disc.

To start with, the first two titles will be none other than Days of Thunder NASCAR Edition and Top Gun Wingman Edition. The package will contain a hybrid Blu-ray disc that contains both the movie and a game for the PlayStation 3 that was developed by 505 Games that is themed to go along with the movie. As you can guess, you will be driving a stock car in the Days of Thunder game and flying a plane in the Top Gun game.

Days of Thunder NASCAR Edition and Top Gun Wingman Edition will arrive on June 7th and cost $30 per title. From what we understand, these Blu-ray discs are compatible only with the PlayStation 3, so you will not be watching them in your stand-alone Blu-ray player. We are not sure that this hybrid concept is going to take off, as from what we remember the Days of Thunder game when it was for sale as a download title wasn’t very good.

If you are looking to get the game for free as a bonus because you were buying the movie anyway, then maybe we could see it; but if the price doesn’t come down or the game quality does not go up, we are not sure that it is going to be too successful for Paramount. Still, you have to give credit where credit is due, and we have to acknowledge that it is a very interesting way to package two old popular Tom Cruise movies with a fresh coat of paint to see if people are interested in buying them again.